Ball Corporation and Dabur Join Forces

PUNE: Ball Corporation, the leading global provider of sustainable aluminum packaging for beverages, personal care, and home products, announced today its partnership with Dabur India Limited, one of the most iconic and longstanding consumer goods companies founded over 135 years ago, to expand their Réal juice portfolio with the launch of the new Réal Bites in fully recyclable aluminum cans in India. Réal Bites juice offers a unique drinking experience with real fruit chunks in every sip.

The juice category in India recorded strong double-digit growth in 2023, owing to rising consumer affinity for healthy beverages, amid growing health concerns. The popularity of the category as a refreshment for social occasions aided growth. The juice category is forecasted to grow over 35 million liters in volume by 2028 with new flavors & innovative launches.

Réal Bites in aluminum cans is available in delightful flavors like: Peach, Pineapple, and Réal Green Apple. The 185ml can be introduced as an entry point for this segment, offering a convenient size for on-the-go consumption. Along with the refreshing taste, the new aluminum cans provide a shelf life of up to one year, significantly longer than the four to nine months offered by other packaging formats. This ensures that consumers can enjoy the deliciousness of Réal Bites for a longer period, while also making a sustainable choice, as aluminum cans are the most recycled beverage containers in the world.

Commenting on the launch, Mayank Kumar, Vice President of Marketing, at Dabur India Ltd. said, “At Réal, our goal is to continually innovate and cater to the evolving preferences of our consumers. The introduction of Réal Bites in aluminum cans not only broadens our product portfolio but also meets the demand for longer shelf life and more sustainable packaging. We are excited to offer our customers the same great taste in a format that is both convenient and fully recyclable.”

Aluminum has numerous advantages. As a truly circular material, aluminum can be recycled over and over again without losing its key intrinsic properties, minimizing waste and preserving its value. Additionally, using recycled aluminum saves 95% of the energy compared to using virgin aluminum. Utilizing recycled aluminum can optimize resource utilization from production to disposal, minimizing adverse environmental impacts.

Speaking about the packaging partnership between Ball and Dabur India, Manish Joshi, Commercial Director Asia at Ball said: “As consumers shift to healthy beverages and prefer on-the-go consumption, can as a packaging substrate is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12% from 2023 to 2028 in the juice-based category. Ball’s 2-piece aluminum beverage cans are fully recyclable and come in varied sizes to meet the customer requirements. Ball’s can help our customers achieve their sustainability goals while offering a 360-degree branding opportunity and varied innovation in the print. With Dabur’s Réal Bites, which contain small fruit chunks, the wide opening of the can provide a perfect solution for easy consumption.”

The partnership between Ball and Dabur comes at a time when sustainability is more important than ever to consumers, who expect brands to offer products in sustainable packaging. The growing recognition of aluminum beverage cans as a sustainable packaging option is expected to continue and expand, aligning with the Indian government’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.

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